I've equipped a few of my NPCs with new weapons, CVI Heavy Rotating Cannons (in their primary slots).

But when they are ready to attack, the combat screen says they have "No Weapons" at all (spelled out in red).

I have one of the very same CVIs equipped, at the same range, and I can use the "Deploy" command in my Equipment screen to make it usable (and I can fire it immediately, though the deployment takes 30 minutes, and you have to undeploy it afterwards, which takes another 30 minutes).

But I can't seem to find any way to Deploy the ones carried by the NPCs. Is it possible that none of the tripod-using Heavy Weapons are usable by NPCs?

Um, second question: any idea when/if ever we'll have NPC deployment available? Is this being worked on, or will the galaxy-wide "Derra Disease" spread before the most useful weapons against them are implementable beyond just PCs?

The heavy weapons are intended to be used against hull, not HP, and the Derra pvp stuff does not include entities, so it doesn't really matter yet. The heavy weapon stats will still be adjusted once entity combat is worked on, so I doubt this is a priority.

Syn, are you saying *all* heavy weapons are going to be anti-ship weapons, or only the ones with tripods? Which is odd, since many of those are canonically used to defend structures or prepared positions against ground assault.

Or are you referring to the Mini-Mag and Rocket Launchers, which recently got nerfed?

That's a huge shame, not just from the usage aspect, but from the perspective of those who sell those items.

I know it's not my place to make suggestions here, but since Entity vs. Entity combat is some many months away, wouldn't it have been better to leave the Heavy weapons as they were, and only change them when EvE combat got closer to reality?

I know, I know, it is wonderful in my "perfect galaxy." 72 degrees and sunny, all the time. (:^D)

Curious though, what would happen if one uses a heavy weapons, which is mentioned as being meant for hull damage, on an npc, bandit or character? Will it do no damage or severely limited damage on a non-hull entity.

Though this one does agree that there would be no point in turning back such a change because then they would have to spend more time to redo it all again.

Mikel, it's not so much programming something that will later be removed, but allowing the implementation of items for PCs, which should also be available to NPCs.

Recently, programming was put into effect to allow PCs to use Heavy Weapons (via the "Deploying" option in the Equipment screen), in a manner that allows them to be used with full effect against non-"hull" targets -- this answers your question, Coran.

Is this programming that will be removed? I doubt it: it'll just be tweaked to have less effect against "soft" targets. So, how hard is it to add that same programming to NPCs, via a Squad "Deploy" action? Eventually, that option will have to be in place anyway, right? In order to be used against "hull" targets.

I think there was already plenty of game balance when NPCs used Heavy Weapons: the HW lack of close-in range meant you had an option of closing with them, under their range. Equally, the HW greater range gave you an option of trying to hit a target outside of their range. That contest of ranges provided an excellent chess match.

Now, it appears much of that will be tossed aside, in favor of Personal weapons only against soft targets. Personal weapons also have range differences, but much less of a difference.

Again, why remove all heavy weapons vs. PC/NPC targets, when so much of that is already canonical?